The original cathedral
of Arras, the cathedral de Notre Dame, was built between
1030 and 1396. It was regarded as one of the most beautiful
Gothic buildings in northern France.

During the French Revolution, the cathedral de Notre
Dame was sold as national property and pulled down.

The current cathedral was planned as the church of the abbey of Saint-Vaast. Construction began around 1778, under
the direction of Pierre Contant d'Ivry, who also built
the church of La Madeleine in Paris. The rebuilding was
interrupted by the Revolution, and work resumed in 1804
at the initiative of Napoleon I. With the Gothic cathedral destroyed, in due course, the abbey replaced it, being inaugurated
in 1833.

After the Revolution smashed the great cathedral of Arras, a local church, Saint John Baptiste, substituted as Arras cathedral until the vast eyesore of Saint Vaast was ready in 1883. Saint John Baptiste, which had survived the Revolution, ironically renamed as a Temple of the Goddess of Reason, was destroyed by the Germans in 1915.

As well as the serving cathedral, Saint John Baptiste was rather crudely rebuilt during the 1920s.

Arras cathedral before 1914

Completely destroyed by April 1917, the cathedral was
restored in 1920. Further damage during WW2 has also been
repaired.

Arras cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals at 104
metres long by 26 metres wide, with a 30-metre high nave.

In 1914 was the first battle of Arras, part of an attempt
by the French to outflank the Germans making a north-westerly
movement towards the English Channel, called the ‘race
to the sea’. During the succeeding years of World
War One, Arras was subject to more battles as possession
of the region changed again and again.

“The beautiful original Gothic cathedral of Arras,
erected in the 12th and 13th centuries, having been first
sold as national property, then pulled down during the
Revolution, the church of St. Vaast Abbey became the Mother-Church
in the 19th century.

“The new cathedral, now entirely in ruins, was
a very large building, the erection of which was begun
in 1755 from plans by Coutant d'Ivry, the architect who,
later, built the Church of La Madeleine in Paris. The
work was interrupted during the Revolution, then resumed
by virtue of a municipal decree dated “Nivôse
27, Year XII”, which ran: " ... to erect
the edifice, abandoning everything in the original plans
connected with decoration and architectural beauty, limiting
the work to the requirements of solidity and decency.”
The church was finished in accordance with these prescriptions,
being completed in 1834. The interior was of plaster-coated
brickwork, whilst the columns were of undressed stone,
covered with stone-coloured mortar. The capitals were
of stucco-work.

“Built in the shape of a Latin cross, the Church
measured 330 feet in length, 86 feet in width and 106
feet in height. It comprised a great four-bayed nave with
side-aisles, a wide double transept, a two-bayed choir,
and an apse with ambulatory, off which opened seven chapels.

“The main (west) façade has retained its
principal lines. In front is a flight of 48 stone steps,
with four landings [to the right in
the linked photo], the three entrance-doors being
almost on a level with the roofs of the surrounding houses.
Built in the style of the Jesuits, it comprises two superimposed
stories, one with eight, the other with four composite
capitaled columns, the whole terminating in a triangular
pediment.

“Today, the cathedral forms one of the most impressive
ruins of the war. As previously seen, from the Rue Méaulens,
the façade of the north transept was entirely destroyed.
One of the lateral bays of this transept, completely isolated,
is still standing by a sheer miracle, without any support
or vaulting. The roof and framework of the entire building
fell down after the fire of July 1915.

“One of the lateral bays of
this transept...”

“In the great nave, transept and choir, the semi-circular
vaulting also collapsed. On the other hand, most of the
columns with Corinthian capitals are still standing, either
alone, or supporting the fragments of vaulting which still
cover the side-aisles. [2]

p.95
“[...] a house with every window blown in, and everything
else blown out; an utterly gutted residence, roofless
and floorless, with everything heaped in wild confusion
in the cellar—and a shaving mug and brush still
serenely standing on half a mantelpiece; [...] a cafe
sliced neatly in two, with its bar and bottles in the
standing half - and nothing broken.

“As we stood looking at the cathedral one brilliant
morning, and marvelling at the unique change shell-fire
had made—in this case transforming one of the ugliest
renaissance churches in France into a sublime and inspiring
ecclesiastical ruin [...]”

Of course, it was not just the cathedral and nearby bishop’s
palace that suffered from German shelling in WW1. The
town hall [hôtel de ville], erected in
the early 1500s, was also smashed, as well as the Belfry,
inaugurated in 1154, twice rebuilt, and the highest in
France.

After
the war, the belfry was rebuilt, as was much else in Arras.
The belfry has since been listed, from 2005, as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site as part of the Belfries of Belgium
and France group.

what
was arras cathedral like before the french revolution?

Arras, detail from the first volume
of Civitates orbis terrarum
by Braun (editor) and Hogenberg (engraver), published
in 1572

The gothic cathedral was constructed between 1030 and
1396. It was destroyed during the French Revolution.

This original cathedral was one of the largest and most
famous cathedrals in northern France, and has been compared
to Laon.
It is said to have had an elaborate “triplet
pattern of gallery andclerestory”.
None of the illustrations below, being of the exterior,
make clear this triplet structure.

Obviously, this destruction represents a very great loss
to the heritage [la patromonie] of France.

Above is Arras cathedral and surrounds, by Adam Frans Van der Meulen [1632-1690], viewed from the south side.
It represents the cathedral that was destroyed during
the French Revolution. Adam Van der Meulen was campaign painter to Louis XIV.

plan of the gothic cathedral of
Arras, drawn by Traxier in 1797
Traxier estimated the dimensions as
120 m long, nave 30 m wide, 70 m at the transept,
height 30 m under the vaults, while the west tower was
75 m high.

You will see that the earlier engravings below do not
match. For example, see the dome on the top of the tower.
Nor do the two engravings below match each other well.
The round towers at the north door do not match the Blaeu
engraving.

on
representations of perspective

Below is an odd perspective illustration of the cathedral
viewed from the north side.

Next are two photos of Senlis Cathedral which give some
idea of what is happening in the 1720 engraving above,
although these photos are from the south perspective whereas
the 1720 engraving is from the north. Notice, in the
left-hand photo, the appearance of recession either side
of the cathedral south door. This illusion does not appear
in the right-hand photograph. Notice also the rounded
towers on both the Arras and the Senlis cathedrals.

Cathedral of Arras, in the 18th century.
From a drawing by Posteau (north side)

We have annotated a Google satellite image to show, very
approximately, the location of the original cathedral
at Arras: the Cathedral of Notre Dame. We have also marked
what appears to be vestiges of the medieval town walls
and moat.

Annotated satellite image of central
Arras. Image: google.com

If anyone can help with further information
or illustrations for the medieval cathedral,
please let us know.

Unlike with many words
in French, the final letter, in this case ‘s’,
in the name ‘Arras’, should be pronounced.

pp.
49-51, Arras and the battles of Artois,
Michelin & Cie, 1919

Arras was a major centre of tapestry
production during the Middle Ages and beyond. Arras
tapestries were so renowned and popular that ‘arras’
was the common name for tapestry [just as a vacuum cleaner
is a Hoover]. Thus in Hamlet by William Shakespeare,
the king’s advisor Polonius hides behind an arras.

Pieter Devel, working in the early
18th century, was an engraver based in Brussels.